Beauty Happens To Us...

Have you read the essay called "The Furrows" by G.K. Chesterton? It's quite long but the idea I took from it is that beauty comes from being bent by the forces of life. It’s our job to try to grow straight and not be surprised when the force of life tries to bend us, pressure us and change us...beauty is found in this. Perhaps the Lord allows what seems like trials in our lives because He knows it, in His love, will bend us and shape us into the children of God He has created us to be. Interesting thought, that we can't strive for beauty, it happens to us by allowing Gods will to shape us. 

This brings me to Mary, our Heavenly Mother.  She had amazing faith!  From the moment of the Annunciation through Jesus’ passion and Resurrection there was never an easy road, or a road that was laid out and communicated beforehand.  She went through many trials and tribulations – facing the sneers at being an unwed mother, fleeing from Egypt with her little family, letting go of her son as He grew and began his ministry, walking with him to his death.  What kept her going?  I am convinced there must have been something deep within her, a truth or conviction that enabled her to love, to persevere, to keep travelling into the unknown, ESPECIALLY when it involved pain and suffering. 

Fr. David recently remarked that St. Francis of Assisi was the saint that loved God the most, that truly loved Jesus with all his being.  St. Francis is a good model for us and we are to remember that as much as human being can love God – God loves us and is IN LOVE with us in an indiscernible, incredibly deep way.   Perhaps it was this love that resided so perfectly in Mary, it was this knowing on a deep level that helped her persevere and know with all her heart that although the future at times looked bleak, the Lord God would never forsake her and most certainly would never forsake his only Son. 

The Lord will never forsake us, he will never forsake me.  These are words of conviction that rose within me hours after receiving the news that my US visa would not be processed for months past my expected entrance date.   Knowing this though did not preclude me from anxiety, disappointment etc…but I knew deep down it would all work out in His way, in His time.  I am happy to report that my visa has been approved and in a matter of a few weeks, I will be able to begin a more stable and normal looking Postulancy!! ;)   It will be nice to ‘get on’ with this much anticipated part of my journey but at the same time, this challenge has been good for me and those around me…causing us to bend and draw beauty from the curves.

As the trees with their beautiful leaves lose their glorious colorful coats – they are left bare for us to observe their curves, bumps and bows.  It’s a good reminder to me that we come across experiences that change us in this gifted path of life that mold us, forces us to gently change and hopefully bit by bit – help us to glorify our Creator in fulfillment, the way He meant us to.

God Bless You and May He Shine His face upon you, making you KNOW His love for you!